SHARKS

­ Cartilagineous fish

­ Ancient class – Chondrichyes

­ About 370 species worldwide

Classification

They must be doing

something right…

ANATOMY

SENSES

­ Electroreception

­ Feel

­ Hearing

­ Smell

­ Sight

Mediterranean sharks

FAUNAL SYNOPSIS, August 1997

Order Hexanchiformes: 3

Order Squaliformes: 11

Order Squatiniformes: 3

Order Lamniformes: 9

Order Carcharhiniformes: 21

CONFIRMED TOTAL: 47

Unconfirmed: 6

Possible Total: 53

Species exceeding 300cm TL: 16

Species potentially dangerous: 15

Blacktip reef shark

(Carcharhinus melanopterus)

Blue shark (Prionace

glauca)

Smooth hammerhead

(Sphyrna zygaena)

Angelshark

(Squatina squatina)

Bluntnose six-gill shark

(Hexanus griseus)

Cookie cutter shark

(Isistius brasiliensis)

Shortfin mako (Isurus

oxyrinchus)

Sandtiger shark

(Carcharias taurus)

Basking shark (Cetorhinus

maximus)

Thresher shark

(Alopias vulpinus)

Great white shark

(Carcharodon carcharias)

Types of shark attacks

­ Hit & run

­ Sneak attack

­ Bump & bite

OVERVIEW, MEDSAF RECORDS

FROM 1890 - 2003

(A) Unprovoked Injurious Interactions with Swimmers / DiversN(incidents)=33; N (victims)=36, Fatal=18 (50%); annual rate: 0.29p/a

• Latest Injurious Interaction; swimmers: 03 September 1993 at 08.00hrs

Location: Playa de les Arenes, Valencia (Catalonia), Costa Blanca, Spain.

• Latest Fatal Interaction: 02 February 1989 at 10.30hrs

Location: Golfo di Baratti, near Piombino (Tuscany), Italy.

Species confirmable, or reliably

attributable, as implicated in

above cases:

White shark: N=37 (58.7%)

Blue shark: N=3 (4.8%)

Bluntnose sixgill: N=1 (1.6%)

So if something does go for

you…

Totals by Country (confirmed incidents only)

(NB: Revised 21-6-2003; Greece)

WESTERN ITALY & SICILY: 25 (Boats=9)

Latest record: 30 July 1991, Non-Fatal, Santa Margherita Ligure (Liguria)

ADRIATIC ITALY: 8 (Boats=1)

Latest record: 22 August 1988, Non-Fatal, Ippocampo (Manfredonia)

GREECE: 5 (Boats=0)

Latest record: (summer) 1981, Non-Fatal, Pagastikos Kolpos, near Volos

CROATIA: 5 (Boats=1)

Latest record: 10 August 1974, Fatal, Omis

MALTA: 4 (Boats=2)

Latest record: 20 July 1956, Fatal, Il-Munxar (St Thomas Bay)

LEBANON: 3 (Boats = 0)

Latest Record: (details to follow)

EGYPT: 3 (Boats=0)

Latest record: 8 August 1899, Non-Fatal, Port Said

SPAIN: 3 (Boats=1)

Latest record: 3 September 1993, Non-Fatal, Valencia (Catalonia)

TUNISIA: 3 (Boats=0)

Latest record: June 1976, Non-Fatal, Bechateur (near Bizerte)

FRANCE: 2 (Boats=0)

Latest record: August 1986, Non-Fatal, Gruissan (Gulf of Lyons)* (NB -based on media report)

ISRAEL: 1 (Boats=0)

Latest record: 5 February 1945, Non-Fatal, Tel Aviv

TURKEY: 1 (Boats=1)

Latest record: 1930, Non-Fatal, Santo Stefano (Bosphorus)

European Attacks since 1907

Italy 14 (4)

Greece 9 (8)

Croatia 5 (4)

WORLDWIDE

(N=248)

Sex of Victim

Biting Injury 1981 1984 1985 1986 1987

Dog bites human 12,656 10,593 9,809 8,870 8,064

Human bites human * 1,589 1,591 1,572 1,587

Cat bites human 826 * 879 * 802

Wild rat bites human 60 * 311 * 291

Squirrel bites human 81 * * * 95

Hamster bites human 52 * * * *

Rabbit bites human 37 * * * *

Raccoon bites human 18 * * * 11

Horse bites human 18 * * * *

Gerbil bites human 17 * 12 * *

Shark injuries in

U.S.A.12 14 12 6 13

Relative Risk – Injuries for one year in

NY city